


The Flatmate Agreement

by hollow_lillies



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bi!Rey, College Student Rey (Star Wars), Doctor Ben Solo, F/M, Fluff, Mentions of Kaydel/Rey, Minor Bazine/Ben, Minor Poe Dameron/Finn, Poe The Matchmaker, Porn With Plot, Sharing a Bed, Snoke Being a Dick, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:07:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26196118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollow_lillies/pseuds/hollow_lillies
Summary: Rey and Ben share a flat. Rey and Ben have never met.Rey needs a cheap place to move in after her girlfriend dumps her unexpectedly. Ben needs money and since he works nights in the ER, his friend offers the perfect solution – to rent out his one-bed apartment. The agreement is simple enough – Rey will occupy the place in the evenings and Ben will crash there during the day.  And they won’t meet. Ever.But between heartbreak, crazy girlfriends, wrongful incrimination and a copious amount of baked goods, Rey and Ben are about to find out that things don’t always go the way you think…
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	The Flatmate Agreement

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> This is my first fanfic, which is heavily inspired by "The Flatshare" by Beth O'Leary, my love for doctor!Ben as well as the crazy amounts of romcoms I've consumed this summer. 
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: As this fic includes a large number of text messages and other notes, I would suggest reading it from a browser instead of downloading it as this will mess up with the formatting of the messages. I will probably try to work out how to format it so it could be downloaded, but for now, this will be the case!

"You are absolutely not living here," Finn exclaims as he peeks in the bathroom.

Rey huffs, exasperated. It is the fifth apartment they've viewed in the last three days, and okay, there are things to be desired. The kitchen door is hanging on a single hinge and while the white tiles look to have been scrubbed with a copious amount of bleach, the bedroom walls, sporting weird brown patches, tell another story. But the tattered mattress can be replaced easily and maybe she can buy a couple of cans of paint and redecorate the flat. The landlord wouldn't mind that, right? However, under the sharp tang of the bleach Rey senses a damp, musty smell and surely, when she pokes her head through the bathroom door, a giant blob of technicolour mould greets her from the ceiling.

"It's not _that_ bad," she offers meekly.

Poe is standing in the middle of the tiny living room (featuring a battered couch that has seen better days and a window that faces a brick wall), with his hands securely tucked into his leather jacket and his nose scrunched up. Underneath his blasé exterior, Rey knows the germophobe in him is probably itching to get his hands either on a bucket of disinfectant or on a bottle of gasoline and matchsticks.

"He's right, Rey," Poe shakes his head, eyeing the grease stains on the couch. "Isn't there anything else within your budget?"

Rey tries to swallow the lump that has been permanently stuck in her throat for the last two weeks. Although her friends know that she doesn't have money to burn, she doesn't want to tell them how dire her financial situation is. Between university and two part-time jobs, she can barely make ends meet. That's why living with Kaydel was such a good bargain, until… well until Kaydel had completely flipped and ended things.

She cranes her neck to see if the estate agent is within earshot. Luckily, he's talking loudly on his phone in the hallway. She still leans in.

"This is the last place downtown that was available immediately, and I can afford… It's either this or the last place we saw."

Finn crosses his arms over his chest, giving her his signature _that's not happening_ look.

"Peanut, I told you that you could stay with us for as long as you like. I'm sure we can get a fold-out bed…" he offers for the tenth time this morning.

Finn and Poe had moved into their first apartment together barely two months ago, and the last thing they need is Rey crashing on their couch for the foreseeable future. She had done it for a night a few weeks prior when at last Kaydel had stopped tiptoeing around her and _"the talk"_ had happened. Rey scrunches her nose at the memory of her ugly crying while squished between Finn and Poe on said couch, scooping large spoonfuls from a giant tub on cookie dough ice cream. That had been decidedly unpleasant for all parties involved, but the worst had happened much later when she had finally calmed down and gone to bed. The walls of their flat were scandalously thin, and Rey is sure as hell that she'd never want to hear _that_ again.

"I love you guys, but for the hundredth time, I don't want to impose," she says, feeling a blush rise to the back of her neck.

Finn is having none of it. "At least let us lend you some money until you get back on your feet, I-"

"Thank you, but I don't want to -"

"Oh, come on, Rey, you can repay us as soon as -"

"Finn, I already said _no_!" Rey snaps.

He stops mid-sentence, dumbfounded. The expression on his face grows from wounded to angry and then finally settles on withdrawn. Rey regrets shouting almost instantly. She knows he's just trying to do his best to help her, but she can't bear him dotting on her and treating her like a child. Rey's not the helpless girl he had befriended a decade ago. Sometimes she wishes that he'd ease up a bit and let her make her own decisions. Maybe dragging him along wasn't such a good decision after all.

The silence grows a tad uncomfortable, and Rey busies herself with inspecting the dining table. She notices how Poe shifts uncomfortable and catches Finn's gaze. A silent conversation plays out almost comically between the two of them. Finally, Finn clears out his throat and nods towards Rey with a tight smile. "I'll go talk to the agent again, see if we can think of something else."

Poe watches him leave the room with a furrowed brow and then steps closer to Rey, putting a hand on her shoulder. Her muscles relax almost instantly as if Poe's doctor hands are magically draining the tension from her neck. She sighs and rubs her temples absentmindedly. The last thing she wants is to get into a fight with Finn.

"I didn't mean to yell", she tells Poe.

"I know. Finn's as stubborn as a mule sometimes, but he'll come round," he gives her one of his signature lopsided grins. Suddenly, he leans even closer and drops his voice to a whisper. "Look, I didn't want to say anything in front of Finn, but I might have an offer for you."

" _What_?"

He grabs her hand and drags her further down the corridor until they're out of earshot. "One of my buddies at the hospital is looking for a flatmate."

"Oh? Why didn't you say sooner?" Rey says, but Poe's eyes are still on the entrance where Finn seems to be engaged in a heated debate with the agent. "Why are you acting so weird?"

"Finn doesn't like him, "he pauses for a moment, finally looking at her." Well, not a lot of people do. Hell, I don't even like him sometimes - I am not selling this too much, am I?"

Rey bites down her chuckle. "Not really, but keep going."

"Anyway, he recently moved back to the ER and is working nights pretty much seven days a week, so he's looking for someone to share his flat. It's close to the university, and the rent is cheaper than this shithole. He's at work most of the time, so I doubt you will run into him at all. Actually, I think that's what he's counting on."

Rey looks at him suspiciously. It sounds perfect… in fact, too good. In her twenty-three years, Rey has concluded that often things that are good at first glance turn out not to be what they seem. Being bounced around in the system and having god-awful foster parents did something to a person's trust. Things in life never come easy; she had concluded. So, she thinks that no one can blame her for taking everything with a pinch of salt.

"Okay, what's the catch?" she raises an eyebrow.

Poe hesitates for a moment. A loose curl falls over his forehead, and he reaches a hand to brush it back in place.

"It's a one-bed flat."

***

Ben is in the middle of bandaging a kid's scraped arm when his phone buzzes in his coat's pocket. He decides to ignore it, but a few seconds later, it vibrates again, and then again, and Ben politely excuses himself, allowing the nurse to take over his task. The kid's mom shoots him an angry look but doesn't protest, and he quickly dodges out of the room before she can say anything.

He pulls out his phone, cursing whoever dares to bother him during his shift. He should remember to mute his messages.

Poe Dameron   
  
**Today** 09:41 PM   
eyo, I’ve got some pretty good news   
  
**Today** 09:45 PM   
Ben?   
  
**Today** 09:46 PM   
Ben ben ben ben ben   
  
What do you want?   
  
why the sass, Benjamin?   
  
Poe, you know I am at work.   
  
I’ve got a 10-year-old child crying in my office, so if you don’t mind, be quick about it.    
  
jeez, no wonder the kid is crying   
  
Don’t divert the topic, Poe.    
  


Ben rolls his eyes, leaning against the white corridor wall. The whole space smells like disinfectant and bleach, but after so many years working in hospitals, he barely detects it. A few nurses whizz past him, glancing nervously in his direction. Only one of them, a tall blonde in grey scrubs and a boyish haircut, meets his gaze when he looks up from his phone and she gives him a mischievous smile. Phasma. She had been the first person he has befriended in the ward. She was so different than the other nurses that often annoyed him with their chirpy personal questions he had become expert at dodging. Ben sighs internally. All he wants from people is to do their jobs and keep out of his business.

Poe still hasn’t replied. Ben thumbs another message.

So?   
  
i might have found someone interested    
  
in your flatshare situation    
  
I hope this is not one of your Craigslist fiascos.   
  
have a little faith in me, will you?    
  
it’s Finn’s friend, Rey. 

Ben tries to search his memory for a Rey from one of Poe’s and his boyfriend’s parties but fails to conjure a mental image. He had only attended two of them, and the loud pop music and gyrating bodies had definitely _not_ been his scene. He had made some polite conversation and left as soon as possible. When he thinks about it, he can’t remember the people he knew there either.

Don’t think I’ve met him.   
  
her    
  
she’s a sweet girl   
  
been through a nasty breakup    
  
she’s looking for a place to move in asap 

He chews his lip. What kind of a girl’s name is Rey? When he had asked Poe to help him find another tenant for his apartment, Ben had imagined one of Finn’s bro-dudes from the law firm. But a girl? And no less – a girl going through a breakup? He considers the prospect of having a girl in his apartment, in his bedroom or under his shower and strangely, the idea doesn’t seem so too off-putting. His thoughts meander into a dangerous trajectory, and he scrunches his eyes to get _that_ image out of his head. _Get a grip, Solo. This is just about the money._

Okay, I’ll talk to her.    
  
Anything I should know? Is she going to kill me in my sleep?    
  
god, I hope she does   
  
I will take good care of your silk sheets   
  
I will disown you.   
  
nah, you won’t ;)   
  
alright, I will give her your number   
  
but please, don’t tell Finn   
  
he’s quite protective of her   
  
Oh? Some history there?   
  
no, not in that way, you perv   
  
Finn’s as gay as they come   
  
she’s kind of like a sister to him   
  
grew up together and all that   
  
I understand. My lips are sealed.

Ben pushes off the wall, bracing himself for the wails of the crying boy when his phone buzzes again. He looks down, expecting another message from Poe, but instead ‘incoming call from BAZINE’ flashes across his screen. He lingers for a moment, staring at the device in his hand, anger slowly dripping into the pit of his stomach.

He turns his phone off.

***

When Rey gets home from her shift in the diner, her ankles and back aching from standing up for seven hours straight, something seems off with the apartment. At first, she can’t quite put her finger on it, so she throws her keys on the coffee table in the living room and shrugs off her jacket. It’s only when she reaches the bedroom that it finally dawns on her. Rey freezes at the door, mouth slightly ajar and takes in the sight in front of her. All of her possessions, clothes, books, and knick-knacks are neatly stacked in piles on top of the double bed. A few unfolded boxes are leaning against the wardrobe, and she notices a note laying on the nightstand, one corner tucked under Rey’s favourite elephant figurine. _What the fuck_ , she thinks as she takes a tentative step into the room and gingerly sits on the edge of the bed.

_Rey,_

_I know it’s been hard for you to deal with the breakup, and I have been kind enough to leave you space to sort yourself out and find a new place. But it’s been three weeks already, and Mom thinks you’re taking advantage of me and overstaying your welcome. I came by to talk to you today, and I noticed that you still haven’t started packing, so I’ve organised your things for you._

_I would have to ask you to move out before the end of the week; otherwise, you would have to pay me a full month’s rent. I can’t stay much longer with my mother, and since technically the lease is in my name, I am legally the tenant of this apartment. Please, don’t make this worse._

_If you need to talk, call me between 5 and 8 pm._

_x, Kaydel_

Rey stares down at the note in her hands. She realises she’s crying only when her vision starts to blur, and she squeezes her eyes shut, scrunching the paper into a ball, and throwing it across the bedroom. Hurt and anger tear through her chest in rapid succession, and she falls back into the pile of clothes. How can Kaydel treat her like this? _Taking advantage, overstaying your welcome, don’t make it worse._ The mean, dreadful words appear behind her eyelids. How dare she treat Rey like this when _she_ had been the one that ended things? Rey’s heart still aches at the thought of that evening, but she manages to stifle the next outpour of tears that threaten to spill over. She takes in a few shuddering breaths, feeling her anger subdue to a cold resolve.

Rey gets up from the bed too fast, and the headrush almost makes her fall back. She stalks towards the living room, ignoring the way her vision swims before her eyes and manages to locate her phone in her discarded bag. She is just about to call the estate agent and tell him that she’ll take the first place that she can move in immediately when she notices the messages from Poe.

Dam(n)eron <3    
  
**Today** 05:45 PM   
talked to my friend last night    
  
he told me to give you his number if you’re still interested   
  
name’s Ben Solo

Rey stares at the phone number that Poe has attached to his last message. His words from earlier play out in her mind – a good location, cheap rent, practically non-existent flatmate. Sounds like such a bargain compared to the shitholes she had been viewing for the past two weeks. Sharing a bed with virtually a stranger bothers her, but surely, it’s not like they will be sleeping in the bed at the same time. She had experienced worse things than that, like living with Plutt, for once.

_Overstaying your welcome, taking advantage, don’t make it worse._

_Well, fuck you Kaydel._ She bites the inside of her cheek and taps dial.

***

Ben tosses and turns all day, unable to fall asleep even though his body feels like it had been squeezed out of every ounce of energy it has. Finally, at five in the afternoon, he gives up and gets out of bed. There are still a couple of hours before his shift, so he decides to walk to the hospital instead of catching the subway, hoping that the brisk afternoon air will make him feel less groggy.

He manages to snatch a coffee in less than 10 minutes, which is practically unheard of in New York. He’s just coming out of the coffee shop when a guy in a grey suit and an earpiece bumps into him, almost making Ben drop his drink.

“Hey, man, watch where you’re going!” the man yells over his shoulder, not even bothering to slow down.

“Asshole,” Ben mutters under his breath but keeps walking. Once upon a time, he might’ve let his anger take over and decked the guy in the face. But that time is long gone. Ben knows better than to let his hot-headedness dictate his actions.

He pulls out his phone instead as he sips the too-hot espresso. His phone has been off all day and cringes at the thought of turning it on. For a moment, he contemplates just dumping it in the nearest bin. But that would be stupid, and he is desperately trying not to do dumb shit like this just because he’s annoyed. When the phone finally boots up, seven missed calls, and a few messages pop up on the screen.

Bazine    
  
**Tuesday** 10:45 PM    
Pick up    
  
**Today** 09:43 AM    
I’ve called you 3 times, pick up   
  
**Today** 10:22 AM    
Ben, please pick up   
  
**Today** 01:12 PM    
I am sorry for what I said   
  
I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did    
  
I understand why you need to do this   
  
Please, just pick up your phone

He ignores the messages, pulling up his missed calls instead – five from Bazine, one from his mother and strangely, one from an unknown number. Ben frowns. The person has left a voice mail, and he taps his inbox as he dumps the now empty cup into a nearby bin.

A female voice with a slight British accent greets him from the other side.

_“Um, hi! Is this Ben Solo? Oh, shit, you can’t reply. I- I always do this… Well, I would just have to assume you're Ben Solo, I guess. I am Rey, Poe’s friend – he gave me your number. He told me you’re looking for a flatmate? Erm, I am looking for a place, and I was wondering if I can pop in to take a look? Please call me back – or text me. I don’t mind! Okay, thanks, bye!”_

Ben worries his bottom lip. When Hux had suggested that he finds someone to share his flat, he hadn’t been too happy. But the lawyers were too expensive, and Ben had refused to take any money from his parents, so what choice did he have? Having almost lost his medical license was bad enough, but the hit on his reputation had been way worse. The only thing he could do right now was to do the goddamn night shift and hope that Amilyn, who charged $250 an hour, can get him out of this mess. He didn't have another choice.

Unknown Number   
  
**Today** 06:20 PM   
Hello, Ben Solo here. I received your voicemail. When would you like to arrange a viewing?   
  
hi!   
  
thank you for getting back so quickly   
  
is lunchtime Friday ok?   
  
I would rather do morning if possible. Does 10 sound good?   
  
yes, that’s fine   
  
😊

Ben chuckles at the smiley face. What a strange girl.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this and please leave a comment!


End file.
